


The Unintended Consequences of a Desperate Wish

by YoungTrust



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:54:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21714115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoungTrust/pseuds/YoungTrust
Summary: The final battle for the fate of Paris has arrived, and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, holder of the Ladybug Miraculous and the Great Guardian must make a choice that will change everything.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	The Unintended Consequences of a Desperate Wish

**Author's Note:**

> So. I have to take a polymer chemistry final tomorrow and I should really be studying as it’s my hardest exam this semester, but this plot bunny would not let me CONCENTRATE lmao. I blame everyone for writing awesome miraculous crossovers and maribat stuff for this. This is the set up for my own crossover scenario! Let me know what you think!

After five years of fighting, five years of lying to her friends and her family, of sacrificing her dreams, her time, her grades and her sleep, the final battle had come. It wasn’t planned -- despite their best efforts, she and Chat hadn’t managed to determine the identities of Hawkmoth and Mayura. No -- it had been a seemingly random day when the two villains and the ever-loyal Volpina come out in force, raining havoc down upon the city and leaving Marinette no time to get away from the battle to call for their allies. Blood from a gash to her forehead dripped into her eyes as she curled her arms protectively around her partner.

Her heart had stopped when she’d heard his scream. She’d been grappling with Mayura, close to grasping the older woman’s miraculous when she’d turned to see Hawkmoth withdrawing his weapon from her partner’s chest with a wet squelching sound. Nonononononono. Her lucky charm had given her some strange red and black spheres -- when she’d broken them against the ground, they’d filled the gardens at the Trocadero with enough noxious smoke that she’d been able to force her body to move, snatching up Chat who had fallen to his knees and was making the most awful wet gasping sounds. She sprung away from the fight as fast as she could -- the only thought in her mind to get her Chaton, her faithful partner somewhere safe. She couldn’t bring him to a hospital -- without detransforming doctors wouldn’t be able to treat him and if he detransformed Plagg wouldn’t be able to stabilize him. And she couldn’t just leave him somewhere -- it was one on three now, and no matter how hard she fought she couldn’t possibly keep an eye on Hawkmoth, Mayura AND Volpina at the same time -- if one of them were to find him when he couldn’t defend himself -- No. There was only one option.

She glanced back over her shoulder as she changed directions to make sure she hadn’t been followed. Thank Kwami that Tikki had managed to give her enough time to get away. Several minutes and too few of her partner’s gasping breaths later, she dropped down through the trap door of her room. She laid Chat down on her bed as gently as she could, seeing his eyes widen as he realized where he was.   
“M….M’lady?”

She had already jumped down from the loft, tearing apart a pile of boxes by her sewing machine and pressing the code into the lockbox she’d designed to free the miraculous box within. Pressing two spots on the egg-shaped box, she grabbed the jewelry that they revealed, racing back to her partner as the kwamis materialized. She could feel the two small being’s confusion at being summoned turn to worry and spiking fear as they saw her own wounds and Chat’s. Her bloody fingers fumbled to secure Orikko’s necklace around Chat’s neck and then Wayzz’s bracelet around her own wrist.

“Guardian --”

“Orikko.” She cut Wayzz off. “Can you stabilize him while I finish the fight?”

The motherly kwami looked shaken but nodded, and Ladybug returned her focus to her partner.

“Kitty? Can you hear me?” Her hands were shaking.

“Marinette?” He questioned, face contorted in pain and confusion.

“That doesn’t matter right now. I just need to make sure that you’re okay. I need you to merge Orikko with Plagg, can you do that? She’s the kwami of restoration and she’s going to help you.” She tried to make her voice as soothing as possible.

He nodded, grasping her hand like a lifeline. “Orikko, Plagg, merge!” An orange light covered him and faded to reveal orange accents running up and down his suit.

Ladybug nodded and began to stand. “Good. I’m going to go take care of things. You just stay here until I can cast the cure, okay? You’re going to be okay Chaton.” She didn’t know if she was trying to reassure him or herself. Before she could move, he grabbed her hand with surprising strength.

“Wait,” he gasped. “Plagg, divide.” Green light faded to leave her partner in an orange and red jumpsuit that looked almost like a sunrise if it wasn’t for the blood still staining his torso and her sheets. “If… if they were to find me… I couldn’t protect him. Just in case… you were followed… you need to take him, Bug.”

Tears blurred her eyes as she looked at the perfect trust in her partner’s face. Plagg himself was crying, quiet tears running down his small cheeks as he hugged Chat’s chin as best as he was able. “He’s right Bug.” Her hand trembled as she slipped the ring onto her middle finger.

“I’ll be back soon, okay? Stay safe Kitty.” She leaped for the balcony before he could see her own tears. She ran away from her home, focused only on gaining as much distance as she could as fast as possible. The three villains likely hadn’t stayed at the Trocadero and they could jump out at her from anywhere. Pausing on a rooftop halfway across the city, she took a deep breath and looked down at the green kwami on her shoulder.

“I’m… I’m going to need to be my own shield this time. Can I rely on you Wayzz?” Her voice was soft, knowing that she was asking him to effectively relive the battle where they’d lost Fu nearly three years ago.

His eyes firmed with resolve despite a wet sheen. “You can count on me, Master.”

She nodded. “Tikki, Wayzz, merge!” When the light of the transformation left her, her suit felt much sturdier. She looked down to see interlocking armored plates extending across her body. She bent, testing her movement, and was relieved when the plates appeared to be as flexible as they were sturdy. Reaching for a new weight on her back revealed a shield patterned like the carapace of a ladybug.

“Milady!”

She heard the shout from behind her and stiffened, whipping around as Plagg darted to hide in one of her pigtails. An illusion of Chat Noir limped towards her across the roof, bloody and battered, clutching a hand to his chest.

“I’m so glad that I found you! I --” She didn’t wait for it to finish, sending her yoyo shooting through it with more force than strictly necessary, leaving a cloud of orange smoke drifting in the air.

“How dare you?!” She shrieked, voice vibrating with barely contained rage. “Why don’t you come out here and fight me yourself you coward?!” A high pitched whistling sound was her only warning, and she twirled to block the strike that Volpina had aimed at her head.

“Did I touch a nerve?” The fox villainess smirked. “I have to wonder, how did you know it was an illusion so quickly? Is your mangy sidekick already dead?” She punctuated her words with a sharp blow on her flute, conjuring a large orange beacon above them.

Ladybug flew at her with a roar, knocking the flute out of Volpina’s hands and tackling her to the ground. She could hear the breath whoosh out of the other girl and drew back her right fist to punch the akuma in the face. The blow connected with more force than she was used to -- she normally relied on her agility to fight as Ladybug -- adding Wayzz to the equation had given her more strength than she usually had.

Volpina dazedly lifted a hand to her face, her glove coming away red against her newly split lip. Her eyes focused on Ladybug’s hand and the bloody silver ring glinting in the sunlight. “Hmm,” she smirked around red teeth, “Looks like I wasn’t wrong. Poor Ladybug, can’t even save the life of your dumb partner. What a failure.”

Marinette had barely registered the words when she felt a sharp pain in her ear. Plagg. She closed her eyes and took a second to breathe, grateful for the kwami’s interference. Opening her eyes, she reached down and was about to snap the foxtail pendant on the akuma’s chest when something slammed into her from the side, knocking her across the roof. She pushed herself to her feet. Hawkmoth and Mayura had arrived.

“Hawkmoth!” Volpina shouted as she jumped to her feet. “She’s wearing the ring!”

An ugly smirk twisted the supervillain’s face as he leaped towards her, alongside the sentimonster moth that Mayura had summoned for him. “Your miraculous will be mine!”

Marinette dodged and twisted desperately, fending off attacks from three sides. She managed to score a lucky hit on Mayura, knocking the older woman back, but not a second later she felt the blade of Hawkmoth’s cane pierce her side. She faltered, looking down at the purple blade protruding from her side. No. She would not give up now. Steeling herself, she moved backward, forcing the blade out of her and threw herself towards an empty area of the rooftop, calling for Shellter. She sunk to her knees inside the green shield, hand pressed against her side and breath coming in quick pants.

“--Bug! Bug!” She looked up to see Plagg hovering in front of her.

She gave him a shaky smile and winced as she threw her yoyo into the air. “Lucky Charm!” The object fell into her hands and she prayed that somehow it would be able to fix everything. Fix her mistakes, her failures, her inability to protect Chat -- to protect herself -- her city. She very nearly broke into tears when she looked down at her hands and found only a simple hand mirror, showing her battered and blood-stained reflection. “What can I do with this?!” She cried in despair.

Plagg looked with her, appearing first confused, and then resigned. “Think about it Bug,” he said softly, gesturing at the three supervillains battering her weakening shield. “There’s only one way to get out of this.”

It took her a moment to figure out what he was implying. “I can’t!” Her shout was semi-hysteric. “No one can be trusted with that power! If I think the wrong thing I could start world war three, or another plague, or --”

Plagg lightly scratched her cheek with one claw, bringing her back to herself. “Look, Bug. I’m not going to pretend that this is an ideal situation. Heck, I’m not ecstatic about this either. But… there really isn’t another way out. And…” He paused. “Tikki wouldn’t have told you to do this if she didn’t trust you Bug. And that’s enough for me. You know the words.”

She stared at him a moment longer, eyes swirling with indecision. Then, as her shield collapsed, she gave a shaky nod and shouted -- “Wayzz, divide. Tikki, Plagg, MERGE!”

___________________________________________________

Everything was white. Hawkmoth, Mayura, Volpina, Paris, all gone. Marinette looked down at herself. She wasn’t wearing her Ladybug suit -- just the normal clothes she’d had on that morning when she’d gone out to sketch in the gardens. She pressed a hand against her side, exhaling in relief when there was no pain, before inhaling in panic. “Am I dead?” She wondered aloud. She’d been injured, maybe combining the miraculous had killed her, and even now Hawkmoth was making his wish --

“You are not dead, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Ladybug Warrior and Great Guardian of the Miraculous.”

Marinette looked up to see what appeared to be a kwami floating in the void in front of her. It was black in color, somehow darker than Plagg as if it was a pocket of negative space. Three white eyes stared at her in unison. “Tikki? Plagg?”

“Yes, and no. We are Null, the kwami of reality.”

“So you’re…”  
“We are here to grant your wish.”

Marinette took an unconscious step backward as the being regarded her impassively. Her mind was racing. It was one thing to know what the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses could do, but this… this was something else entirely. A wish. Anything she desired, regardless of its effect on the reality which she knew. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t immediately thought of Chat. Except, wishes had brought about the sinking of Atlantis, the black plague, drought and famine, and unknown suffering. If she wished for Chat’s life, someone else could die and there would be no miraculous cure to bring them back. No -- she had to trust her partner, and she had to trust her ability to somehow make it out of this and cast the cure.

She wished Tikki was there. Tikki. The kwamis. For thousands of years, they’d suffered in a world that battled over them, causing them pain as they fought evil and lost those they cared about over and over. That was it -- she could do this for them. She looked up at Null who hadn’t moved, seemingly content to wait for her to make up her mind.

“I…” She started. “I wish that the kwamis of the miracle box under my protection could have the power of the wish and that any price exacted would affect me alone.”

Null gave her a considering look. Although the kwami had no mouth that she could see, she somehow got the impression that Null was smirking. “You are an interesting one Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Very Well. Your wish is granted.”

And Marinette saw white again.

___________________________________________________

Within Marinette’s transformation and the kwami Null, Tikki and Plagg stirred, realizing what she had done. Using one paw to shield his eyes from the blinding light emanating from Ladybug, Wayzz felt a sense of power fill him and connect him to the other kwamis. Orikko paused in her single-minded focus on healing the boy that her Master had left with her. The kwamis that had remained in the miracle box felt the compassion of their Guardian surround them as they too realized what had happened. Even trapped within the transformations of Hawkmoth and Mayura, Noroo and Dusuu felt a strange and alien kindness, both shocked at what the Ladybug holder was willing to do for the kwamis -- for them. Across their different locations, their minds reached together. Each felt as though this was a decision meant to be discussed, but the magic of the wish latched onto one common desire that had lanced through every single one of them when Marinette had made her wish.

“We wish to have a Guardian as kind as you always.”

___________________________________________________

When Marinette came to, she was back on the rooftop, Hawkmoth, Mayura, and Volpina leaping at her in what seemed to be slow motion. She held out a hand and they stopped.

“Wayzz, are you alright?” Her voice sounded strange -- it echoed in on itself and reminded her of baying hounds. The small green kwami nodded, seemingly shocked speechless. “I’m glad,” she smiled and turned her attention back to the three villains floating in the air in front of her. “Your crimes against this world, and against the kwamis of transmission and emotion will not go unpunished.” She walked forward, first crushing the foxtail pendant that hung around Volpina’s neck, grabbing the freed akuma in one hand. Her fist shone, and a purified butterfly was released. “Miraculous Cure!” A swarm of golden ladybugs trailing purple energy swept through the city, reversing the damage of the battle that had taken place. Lila Rossi dropped to the ground as Marinette stepped forward, one hand grasping Mayura’s pin and the other Hawkmoth’s broach. In one quick motion, she ripped off both miraculouses, leaving Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancouer standing frozen on the roof. She reached into thin air and pulled out a rope, tying the immobile and powerless villains together. She looked for her yoyo to call the police, but couldn’t find it anywhere amidst the purple and gold swirls of the ethereal dress this transformation had given her. “Ah.” Her lips quirked in a smile. “Plagg, divide.”

She nearly collapsed herself when the powerful energy rush of being… whatever she had been for a few short moments there left her.

“Bug.” Plagg was staring at her. “When we told you to make a wish, we never thought…”

Marinette, back in her familiar red and black spots drew the kwami of destruction close, hugging him against her cheek. “I know.” Then, she straightened and called 112 from her yoyo.

“What is your emergency?” The voice on the other end of the line asked.

“This is Ladybug. Code Polyphemus. I have apprehended Hawkmoth, Mayura, and their willing accomplice Volpina.” She looked down at the street sign below her and choked back a sardonic laugh. “I’m on the Rue des Martyrs, near Sacre Coeur. I’ll hold them until you arrive.”

There was a pause before the woman on the other end of the line let out a loud cheer. “We’ll have people there as soon as we can Ladybug. Congratulations, and thank you. Thank you so much.”

No sooner than Marinette had smiled and ended the call did her yoyo begin shaking again. She flipped open the screen to reveal a call notification from Orikko’s mirror. Her heart stopped as she picked up. “Chat?” She questioned, voice shaking.

“Ladybug! The cure -- it worked! Where are you? Do you need help?!”

She blinked back tears and let out a joyful whoop. “It’s okay Chaton. It’s… it’s going to be a long story, but it’s okay now. I have Hawkmoth and Mayura here. I have their miraculouses Chat. They’re not going to hurt anyone ever again.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line as her partner processed what she’d said before he let out a whoop of his own. “I’m on my way Milady! I’ll be there as fast as the rooster flies.”

She rolled her eyes but laughed. “Good Kitty. I’m going to need some help to get these three down to the street. I could carry them all at once, but it wouldn’t look incredibly heroic if I jostled them too much.” Pausing, she continued, voice softer. “Besides, you should be here too. This bug is nothing without her partner.” She could tell that she’d made him blush from halfway across the city.

Just as she began to hear sirens approaching, she saw her partner gliding over the rooftops on wings like sunlight, smiling brightly at her. Then his eyes traveled to the three people bound at her feet and widened, his smile cracking like broken glass. He lost altitude, hitting the roof faster than he must have planned, rolling to arrest his momentum.

“Ladybug,” His voice shook more than when he’d been dying in her arms. “Please tell me that isn’t Hawkmoth.”

For the first time since she’d come back to herself, she looked down, really registering the fact that it was Gabriel Agreste -- Adrien’s father -- angrily bound at her feet. Her eyes hardened. “I’m sorry Chaton, this is him.” She knelt down, forcing him to look into her eyes. “For what you did to this city I will make sure that you are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. What I really can’t forgive you for is what this is going to do to your son. Did you think about him at all when you decided to throw your life away like this? Despite the crumbs of attention that you give him and the multitude of things you force him to do, he loves you. And you just threw that away. You are the worst type of human being that I have ever seen.”

Gabriel had begun to look angrier the more she spoke. “I was doing this all for him!” He shouted. “For our family!”

“Bullshit!”

Marinette looked behind her at her partner’s shout, eyes widening as she saw the tears streaming down his face.

“What would you know?” Gabriel scoffed.

“More than you think. Orikko, sundown.” And a flash of golden light revealed Adrien Agreste standing where her partner had been. Gabriel looked like he had been poleaxed, but Marinette was already moving, slipping Adrien’s ring back on his finger and wrapping him in her arms. She pulled back, kissing his cheek before turning to face his father with him, their hands entwined.

“Claws out.” The hand in hers was wrapped in familiar black leather.

“Adrien.” Gabriel gasped. Nathalie was crying.

“You tried to kill me.” Adrien looked like he almost didn’t believe what he was saying. “If Ladybug hadn’t won, I would have died.”  
“I didn’t know!” Gabriel screamed in anguish. Then he looked up at Adrien, desperation on his face. “Now that you know, you can help me! I was going to use the wish to bring back your mother Adrien, to reunite our family!”

Marinette tightened her grip on her partner’s hand as he recoiled.

“What?” The word was filled with empty horror. “Mother is dead. She died years ago. And instead of moving on, of spending time with the FAMILY THAT YOU HAD LEFT you became a terrorist that killed countless people and made an entire city afraid of feeling. You… I can’t believe you.” He stepped forward, looking at Gabriel with deadly intent. “You are NOT my father.” He spat.

Fortunately, none of the rooftop confrontations had been witnessed by the police. Ladybug carried Gabriel and Nathalie to the waiting squad cars while Chat Noir handled Lila. The two heroes gave their statements, establishing Adrien as an unknowing and innocent victim of Gabriel’s plans and ensuring that the elder Agreste, as well as Nathalie and Lila, would all be in prison for a very long time. By the time they were able to get away, the city had begun to realize what had happened, and they swung across the rooftops to the sounds of cheering and laughing and crying below. Without even discussing it, they ended up back at Marinette’s house, dropping through the skylight and into her room. Adrien called for his detransformation as soon as they landed on her bed, collapsing into her arms with a wail.

“Shh, Chaton.” She soothed. “You were so, SO strong out there. You don’t have to be strong anymore.” Gently stroking his hair, she continued. “You’ll stay here. With Ladybug throwing her weight around, we should be able to get the custody papers drawn up soon. You’ll never have to go back there again Chaton. I’m your family now, and no one is ever going to hurt you again.”

He looked up at her in awe. “R-- Really?”

She smiled. “Of course. It’s you and me against the world, remember? Now, we should probably go talk to my parents. Tikki spots off!”

No sooner than she had released her transformation than a searing pain arched across her entire body. She heard herself screaming, and Adrien’s panicked shouts and her world went black.


End file.
